Epic Risk Management has expanded its areas of expertise as the independent gambling harm minimisation consultancy appoints Jonathan Peniket as an online gaming and esports consultant.
In the role, Peniket will help the firm expand their work in minimising gambling-related harm into the aforementioned sectors, with a particular focus in delivering sessions in the company’s education and professional sports pillars in the UK, Europe, and the USA.
“I am proud and excited to be joining this team as a gaming and esports consultant,” said Peniket. “Epic contacted me after I told my story about loot box addiction on the BBC earlier this year.
“I feel that it is helping me to make a real difference in educating on the very real dangers of gambling within video games. Though gaming may be a slightly new angle for Epic, it is one that the company takes seriously, and I am grateful to be able to use my expertise to help it to tackle issues within gaming.”
The use of loot-boxes and in-gaming spending continues to fall under more scrutiny from lawmakers. Belgium prohibited the use of loot boxes in games in 2018, and gaming-rating agency Pegi is promising clearer and more informative ratings to warn if a game has loot boxes and other paid-for items.
“We’re delighted to bring Jonathan into Epic Risk Management,” said Paul Buck, CEO at Epic Risk Management, on the new recruitment.
“Jonathan brings to Epic his own lived experience and is a passionate advocate for educating younger people and their significant others of the potential dangers of online gaming and loot-boxes.
“The esports and gaming landscape is an area that is receiving more and more scrutiny and the recent House of Lords Gambling Committee calls for evidence and discussions concerning video game loot boxes in a real signifier of that.
“We feel that with Jonathan on-board, added to a new advisory board of leading experts to be announced in the coming days, we have someone who can help shape our approach and help connect with an extremely important demographic.”
